Fans have been waiting patiently for years for any word on the revival of thePikminfranchise. Word onPikmin 4seems to still be a ways away, but therecent release ofPikmin 3 Deluxemakes this wait a little more bearable.
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Pikminhas remained one of the quirkiestreal-time strategy seriesof all time and it’s also turned out to be a surprisinglybeloved Nintendo property. Nintendo continues to look for ways to help thePikminbrand thrive and hopefully it still has a bright future ahead.Pikmin 3 Deluxefeatures some worthwhile deviations from its Wii U counterpart and there are many new ways to gain an advantage in the game.
10Enable Gyro And Pointer Controls
Something that Nintendo embraces each generation, for both better and for worse, is unique control styles that are reflections of their newest hardware. As a result,Pikmin 3heavily incorporates the Wii U’s GamePad in the form ofmotion and touch controls, as well as the game’s KopPad. Much of that is now absent on the Nintendo Switch, which means there are many different ways to control the game. Out of all of the options, the option to enable bothgyro and pointer controlscreates the experience that’s closest to the Wii U original.
9Hard Mode Is The Wii U Version’s Normal Mode
Gamers who aren’t new toPikmin 3may realize that the Switch version is much easier than the Wii U original.Pikmin 3 Deluxehas re-balanced many of its elements and the base game is easier as a result. However, thegame’s Hard Modeis actually the same as the Wii U version’s difficulty, which makes it ideal for the more experienced players. Those that need more of a challenge shouldn’t be intimidated by what Hard Mode offers. There’s also an additionalUltra-Spicy Modefor those that really want to test their skills.
8Don’t Underestimate The Radar
Pikmin 3 Deluxefeatures somevery big areasto work around and it’s easy to get disoriented, especially with so many Pikmin scattered all around. The radar has been slightly tweaked inPikmin 3 Deluxe in a way that can actually really benefit the player if they know how to properly take advantage.
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Zooming in and out on the map is standard, but the radar inPikmin 3 Deluxeallows the entire area to be visible, with unvisited areas showing up as transparent. It’s a quick way to figure out what still needs to be explored and what’s been covered.
7Pikmin Leaders Can Fight Without Pikmin
ThePikminseries is atypical in the sense that the many Pikmin that fill up the land could be considered to bethe main characters, but then there are also figures like Captain Olimar and the crew of the S.S. Drake, who all serve a greater purpose.Pikmin 3 Deluxeexpects the Pikmin to do a lot of the heavy lifting, especially when it comes to the enemies. However, the game re-balances the leaders so they can dispense a little more damage. If players find that they’re short on Pikmin then they shouldn’t be afraid to join the fight themselves.
6More Pikmin Can Be Trusted To Be Left On Their Own
Part of the fun of thePikminexperience is to build armies of hundreds of Pikmin and have them multi-task and work together to accomplish many things at the same time. It can be frightening to leave Pikmin on their own or to try and handle other obstacles and trust Pikmin to get the job finished. However,Pikmin 3 Deluxere-balances the strength and defense of the Pikmin in a way where now single Pikmin can complete tasks that used to require a lot more. Players can be more trusting with where their Pikmin are left and rest assured that they don’t need to be so closely supervised.
5Take Advantage Of The Extended Lock-On Feature
One feature that’s fundamental to success inPikminis managing everything that the leader locks onto and that the proper priorities in place. It’s very easy to mix up tasks and end up hurling a Pikmin somewhere that wasn’t wanted.
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Pikmin 3 Deluxerevamps the lock-on system from its Wii U predecessor. It’s now easier to rotate between objects that one wants to lock-on to and they can also lock-on to more things than before, which should be extensively used to take advantage of level layouts.
4Experiment With Every Element For Badges
It can sometimes be disappointing when an older game gets re-released and there’s not much added to the package. Thankfully, even those that are seasoned pros atPikmin 3will have something new to work towards with the addition of 50achievement-based badges. These add a whole new level of difficulty to the game, but badges are earned through all sorts of behavior. It pays off to just experiment with areas, Pikmin, and enemies and new badges will be unlocked in the process. It’s a smart way to learn new skills but also earn more.
3The Whistle Has A Larger Radius
Like most real-time strategy titles, there’s a lot to manage and stay on top of in thePikminseries. There are many different approaches on how to quickly recover the most fruit and build a powerful Pikmin army, but there’s no set solution. One area that’s been adjusted inPikmin 3 Deluxeis the range and effectiveness of a leader’s whistle. This process used to have to be a lot more precise, but it can now be used a little more recklessly to summon Pikmin and pull a team together. Players shouldn’t be afraid to abuse the feature.
2Make Sure Enemy Targets Are On Screen
Pikmin 3 Deluxemanages to smooth out some of the kinks from the previous version of the game as well as up the quality of life factor for many of the game’s controls.Pikmin 3 Deluxestreamlines many aspects, like the radar, lock-on feature, and the intuitive nature of the Pikmin, but it’s important for enemy targets to be on screen during an attack. Dwarf Bulborbs, for instance, won’t be crushed off-camera. Instead, the Pikmin will just latch onto them. It’s a waste of time and Pikmin to not have the monsters on the screen during an attack.
1Take Advantage Of Charging And The Pikmin’s AI
Not only have a number of the basic controls been changed around forPikmin 3 Deluxeto better accommodate the Switch console, but the Pikmin themselves have been re-balanced in a number of ways to streamline the experience. Certain Pikmin functions, like the ability to make them charge or their intuition to switch to a nearby leader and change tasks after they’ve been whistled, now require much less guidance. It’s important to trust the Pikmin and know that they understand how to switch tasks, which will make progress much easier.
